Punch press having selectable cutting punches



Jan. 27, 1970 H. A. BERNAZANI, JR

PUNCH PRESS HAVING SELECTABLE CUTTING PUNCHES I Filed April 4, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 4

HIJKLM BCDEFGHIJKLM mv'eimoR v HENRY A. BERNAzANm A TdRNEYS PUNCH PRESS HAVING SELECTABLE CUTTING PUNCHES Filed April 4, 1967 Jan. 27, 1970 H. A. BERNAZANI, JR

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BYHENRY A. BERNAZANI Jz 1970 H. A. BERNAZANI, JR 3,491,941

PUNCH PRESS HAVING SELECTABLE CUTTING PUNCHES Filed April 4, 1967 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR YHENRY A.- B ERNAZANLJn United States Patent 3,491,941 PUNCH PRESS HAVING SELECTABLE CUTTING PUNCHES Henry A. Bernazani, Jr., Charles St.,

Winthrop, Mass. 02152 Filed Apr. 4, 1967, Ser. No. 628,439 Int. Cl. G06k 1/08 US. Cl. 234112 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A punch press which is capable of punching holes in any of a large number of patterns without removal or rearrangement of the cutting punches is described. The press has a number of cutting punches arranged in a matrix and a number of selector arms associated with the matrix for seletcing the desired punches for actuation. The selector arms are indexed by a ball and spring arrangement and are quickly set to any desired position. The necessary actuating force is applied to the selected punches through the selector arms.

Background of the invention Punch presses are used to punch holes in a predetermined pattern in a blank of cardboard, metal, or other material. Such presses operate rapidly and efficiently when the punching pattern is to be repeated without change on a large number of punching cycles. When, however, the punching pattern is to be varied from one blank to another or from groups of blanks, such machines are inefiicient and time consuming, since these machines must be disassembled and the punches reassembled in the desired pattern each time the pattern is to be changed.

The advent of electronic data processing machines which utilize punched cards for input data and instructions has led to the development of a new class of punch presses, similar in concept to the typewriter, with which the punching patterns on the card blanks may be varied instantaneously at the will of the operator. Such machines are, however, large and expensive and are unnecessarily complicated when applied to tasks requiring the punching of only a moderate number of card blanks. Further, the very flexibility of such machines is somtimes a disadvantage in that a punching pattern which is to be repeated a number of times must be set up anew on these machines as though it had not previously been established.

It is therefore desirable to obtain a relatively simple punch press which is capable of punching a pattern repeatedly to the extent desired by the operator but which allows the pattern to be varied quickly and easily when desired.

Summary of the invention The present invention comprises a punch press having a number of individually operable cutting punches positioned in the form of a matrix by means of one or more guide plates. The punches are operated by a number of selector arms which are individually operable to select any desired punch within one of a number of groups of punches within the matrix. The press repeats the punching pattern established by the operator until the position of the selector arms is varied. Should disassembly of the press be necessary for maintenance purposes, the punches are readily accessible and may be removed individually as desired.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved punch press. Further, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved punch press which permits the operator either to repeat the same punching pattern without adjustment or to rapidly and easily change Patented Jan. 27, 1970 the punching pattern without disassembling the punch press.

Specification The above and other objects and features of my invention will become more readily apparent when taken in connection with the following detailed description of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of a punch press constructed in accordance with my invention;

FIIgIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the punch press of FIG. 3 is an exploded view of portions of the punch press of FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the relation of the parts in more detail;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the punch press of my invention (with portions broken away) illustrating the operation of the selector arms;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the press, partly in section, showing the position of the parts of the press at the beginning of the punching cycle; and

FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the punch press with portions broken away andshowing the position of the press immediately after the desired holes have been punched.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3 of the drawings, the punch press 10 of my invention rests on a base plate 12 on which are mounted spacer bars 14 and 16. A guide plate 18 is mounted on the bars 14 and 16 and is spaced from a stripper plate 20 by a pair of washers 22a and 22b. (FIG. 3). The guide plate 18 and the stripper plate 20 are secured to the spacer bars 14 and 16 by means of screws 24 (one of which is shown in FIG. 2) which are aligned with apertures 26a and 26b on the plate 18 and with similar apertures on the stripper plate 20. The plates 18 and 20 each have a beveled edge at one side thereof to allow the insertion of punch blanks as will subsequently be described in detail.

Springs 28a, 28b, 28c and 28d extend from recesses 30a, 30b, 30c and 30d in the spacer bars 14 and 16, pass through corresponding apertures in the plates 18 and 20, and press against the bottom surface of a platform 32. Guide pins 34, one of which is shown in FIG. 2, are fitted through apertures 36a, 36b, 36c and 36d in the platform 32 and through corresponding apertures in the plates 18 and 20. The lower portion of these pins is threaded for securing them to the spacer bars 14 and 16. The pins 34 have an enlarged head on their upper portion to limit the upward travel of the platform 32 in response to the springs 28.

The platform 32 has a plurality of apertures 38 arranged in the form of a rectangular matrix; similar apertures are formed in the guide plate 18 and the stripper plate 20. Cutting punches 40 having shanks 42 and heads 44 are inserted into these apertures with the shank portions extending through the platform 32 and into (but not through) the plate 20; the heads 44 of the cutting punches rest on the upper surface of the platform 32 as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5 of the drawings.

Located adjacent the apertures 38 are a pair of upper and lower guide blocks 46 and 48 respectively for the reception of a number of selector arms 50 in the form of elongated rods having a head portion 52 and detents 54 formed in the body of the shaft. As may be seen more clearly from FIG. 5, the selector arms are indexed by means of set screws 56 and ball bearings 58 which are urged by means of springs 60 against the detents 54; the spacing between these detents is chosen to correspond to the spacing between the apertures 38. A pin 62 may be provided on each of the selector arms to facilitate the setting of the arms in any desired position. Indexes 64 may also be utilized in conjunction with the arms 50- to provide a ready indication of the position of the arms at any time.

Side support columns 66 are fixed to the spacer bars 14 and 16 by means of screws 68. Mounted across these support columns is platform 70' secured to the support columns by means of screws 72. A cylinder block 74 having a passageway bored through the center thereof for reception of a piston 76 is threaded into the platform 70. The piston 76 is connected at its lower end to a platform 78 having feet 80 at each of the four corners, and is connected at its upper end through a double toggle linkage 82 to a handle 84.

The operation of the apparatus of my invention may now be understood in detail. The cutting punches 40', which are arranged in the form of a rectangular matrix, are located intermediate the platforms 32 and 78. Since these platforms are always separated from each other by at least the height of the legs 80, the cutting punches are isolated from direct contact with the force-applying member 78. In order to obtain the transmission of the requisite force to one or more punches, the selector arms 50 must be properly positioned with respect to the cutting punches. This is accomplished by extending the heads 52 of the selector arms 50 over the cutting punches it is desired to actuate. The selection of a typical cutting punch in this fashion is shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings which is a plan view of a part of the punch press with portions broken away to show a selector arm 50 having its head portion 52 extended over a selected cutting punch in the matrix in order to actuate this punch; other selector arms may be positioned as desired. It will be noted that each selector arm controls the selection of all the punches in the row with which it is associated, so that only a single selector arm is required for each row.

After the desired punches have been selected for actuation, the punching cycle is ready to begin. The beginning or neutral position of the press 10 is shown in FIG. 2 in which the platform 32 is spaced from the feet of the platform 78. Similarly, clearance is provided between the platform 78 and the selector arms 50. To initiate the punching cycle, a blank '86 of cardboard, metal, or other material to be punched is placed in the press between the plates 18 and 20. The arm '84 is then pulled downwardly and the feet '80 of the press are lowered into contact with this platform as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings which is a rear elevational view of the punch press after the punching cycle has been initiated; concurrently with this motion, the platform 78 is brought into contact with the upper portion of the selector arms 50'.

As the handle 84 continues its downward motion, the platform 38 is forced increasingly downwards and the springs 28 are increasingly compressed. Some or all of the cutting punches 44 may at first start to drop down- Wardly with the platform 38 if these punches are only loosely fitted in their apertures in the plate 20; however, the downward motion of the punches is limited by contact with the blank 86 and any further downward motion of these punches due to gravity alone is thereby prevented.

As the arm 84 continues its downward travel, the heads 62 of the selector arms 50 ultimately is brought into contact with the heads of the cutting punches with which they are aligned; thereafter, the selected cutting punches are forced downwardly by the force applied to the head of the selector arm through the platform 78 and the piston 76. This condition is illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings which is a rear elevational view of the punch press of my invention with portions being broken away to show the press immediately after the desired holes have been punched. As may be seen in FIG. 6, the selected punch has been pushed through the blank 86 into the guide plate 18.

After the desired holes have been punched, the handle 84 is raised, thus allowing the springs 28 to return the platform 32 to its initial position. The punches which have been actuated are, of course, returned to their initial position with the platform 32; any material which may cling to the cutting face of these punches is stripped from them by the stripper plate 20 during their upward movement. A new punching cycle may then be begun with the punches in their previously selected position or, if desired, the selected punches may be changed and a different punching configuration obtained quickly and easily by manipulation of the pins 62 on the selector arm 50.

Various adjustments may also be made in the clearances between the various parts of my invention. In the punch press as illustrated in the drawings, the clearance between the upper portion of the selector arm and the lower face of the platform 78 is equal to the clearance between the lower portion of the feet 80 and the upper portion of the platform 32. This insures that the selector arm 52 is positioned against the platform 78 when the selected punches are actuated, thus relieving any bending moment that might otherwise be applied to the actuated selector arms. Of course, if these arms are made sufficiently strong, this bending moment can be tolerated and the clearance may be altered if desired.

Although I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention in the form of a manually operated punch press, it will be apparent that the punch press may readily be converted to hydraulic, electric or other desired mode of operation without departming from the scope of my invention. The positioning of certain of the parts of my invention may also be changed somewhat to achieve the same purposes within the context of the invention. For example, the selector arm housing 46 and 48 may be fixed to the platform 78 is desired, the arms being positioned to move along the lower face of this platform, either flush against the face (to reduce the bending moment) or spaced therefrom. If this is done, that portion of the platform 32 which previously supported the housing may be retained to support the index markers 64 or may be removed completely, the index markers being transferred to the platform 78 together with the selector arms and selector arm housing. Other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is intended that the description of the preferred embodiment of my invention be taken as illustrative only, and not in a limiting sense, the true scope of my invention being defined in the appended claims.

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A punch press comprising, in combination,

a base plate having a plurality of apertures arranged in a matrix of rows and columns therein, each aperture adapted to receive a cutting punch therein;

a stripper plate spaced from said base plate and having a plurality of apertures therethrough corresponding in position and number to, and aligned with, the apertures of said base plate, said stripper plate and said base plate being spaced from each other a sufficient distance to receive therebetween a card to be punched;

a platform movably mounted with respect to said stripper plate and having a plurality of apertures therethrough corresponding in position and number to, and aligned with, the apertures of said stripper plate, the planes of said base plate, said stripper plate and said platform being aligned parallel to each other when so mounted;

a plurality of cutting punches having lengthened shanks and enlarged heads, the shanks of said punches being positioned in the apertures of said platform, the heads of said punches resting on said platform to restrain said punches from motion through said platform;

a plurality of selector arms, there being a single selector arm for each row of the matrix, each arm having a selector head mounted thereon, said arms being 5 mounted on said platform and being extensible along a linear axis parallel to said platform and parallel to the other arms, whereby each said selector head may be positioned adjacent a selected cutting punch;

a force plate mounted parallel to said platform for limited motion perpendicular thereto and having means thereon for contacting said platform and forcing it toward said base plate when said force plate is moved adjacent to said selector arms, whereby said selector heads force only selected punches through said stripper plate, said card, and said base plate, the remaining punches moving in a reverse direction relative to said platform on coming into contact with said card.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 in which the means for contacting said platform comprises a plurality of legs mounted on said force plate and extending from said plate toward said platform.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 in which said selector arms are mounted on said platform by means of a guide block mounted on said platform, said guide block having a plurality of channels extending therethrough in a direction parallel to said linear axis for snugly receiving References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Hollerith 234--1 12 Madden et a1. 234-112 Gollwitzer 234112 Braun 23498 X Biegel 234-112 X Wagner 234-97 X 20 WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

